Method for repairing bone defects

ABSTRACT

A method for repairing a soft tissue or bone defect can include selecting one of a plurality of sizing guides having a base perimeter size corresponding to a size of the defect, where each base has a different perimeter size and a plurality of apertures spaced apart a predetermined distance from each other, with the predetermined distance being the same for each of the sizing guides. The selected sizing guide base can be positioned against a distal end of the femur relative to the defect. A plurality of guide wires can be positioned through the plurality of apertures in the sizing guide base and the guide wires can be fixed to the femur such that the guide wires are parallel to each other. A first guide can be positioned over the guide wires and against the distal end of the femur to guide a first cutting member relative to the femur.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/169,074 filed on Jun. 27, 2011. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a method for repairing soft tissue and/or bone defects, and more particularly to a method for repairing cartilage and/or bone defects in a knee joint.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

Articular cartilage enables bones to move smoothly relative to one another, as is known in the art. Damage to articular cartilage, such as in a knee joint, can be caused by injury, such as tearing, by excessive wear, or by a lifetime of use. Such damage to the articular cartilage can also cause damage to the underlying bone. The damaged articular cartilage can lead to, in certain circumstances, pain and reduced mobility. Various surgical procedures have been developed to repair damaged articular cartilage, such as microfracture, OATS, mosaicplasty or a unicondylar or partial knee replacement.

While these surgical procedures are effective for their intended purpose, there remains a need for improvement in the relevant art for treating focal defects in articular cartilage in a minimally invasive manner.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

In one form, a method for repairing a soft tissue or bone defect is provided according to the teachings of the present disclosure. The method can include selecting one of a plurality of sizing guides having a base perimeter size corresponding to a size of the defect, where each base has a different perimeter size and a plurality of apertures spaced apart a predetermined distance from each other, with the predetermined distance being the same for each of the plurality of sizing guides. The base of the selected one of the sizing guides can be positioned against a distal end of the femur relative to the defect. A plurality of guide wires can be positioned through the plurality of apertures in the base of the selected one of the sizing guides and the plurality of guide wires can be fixed to the distal end of the femur such that the plurality of guide wires are parallel to each other. A first guide can be positioned over the plurality of guide wires and against the distal end of the femur to guide a first cutting member relative to the femur.

In another form, a method for repairing a soft tissue or bone defect is provided according to the teachings of the present disclosure. The method can include forming a reference pocket in a distal end of a femur relative to the soft tissue or bone defect, where the reference pocket is configured to receive a femoral implant. A first cutting member can be guided relative to the reference pocket to form a bore through the femur in a first direction relative to the femur. The method can further include maintaining the first cutting member in the femur and using the bore formed in the femur to guide the first cutting member in a second direction opposite the first direction to form a pocket in a tibia.

In yet another form, a method for repairing a soft tissue or bone defect is provided according to the teachings of the present disclosure. The method can include locating a first guide relative to a distal end of a femur and guiding a first cutting member with the first guide to form a bore through the femur in a first direction relative to the femur. The method can further include removing the first guide from the femur and maintaining the first cutting member in the femur and using the bore formed in the femur to guide the first cutting member in a second direction opposite the first direction to form a pocket in a tibia.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The present teachings will become more fully understood from the detailed description, the appended claims and the following drawings. The drawings are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible limitations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view depicting an exemplary surgical procedure including positioning a sizing guide relative to a cartilage defect in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the sizing guide of FIG. 1 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the exemplary procedure depicting positioning guide pins relative to the sizing guide and the femur in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the exemplary procedure depicting positioning a cartilage cutter relative to the guide pins and femur in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the cartilage cutter of FIG. 3 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the exemplary procedure depicting positioning an outer drill stop relative to the guide pins and femur in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the exemplary procedure depicting a drill bit guided by one of the guide pins and the outer drill stop in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the drill bit of FIG. 5 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the exemplary procedure depicting the drill bit guided by one of the guide pins and an inner drill stop in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the inner drill stop of FIG. 6 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the exemplary procedure depicting a femoral drill guide positioned relative to the cartilage defect area of the femur in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the femoral drill guide of FIG. 7 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the exemplary procedure depicting forming a bore through the femur with a drill bit in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 8A-8C depict views of the drill bit of FIG. 8 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 9-10 are perspective views of the exemplary procedure depicting preparing the drill bit for forming a pocket in the tibia in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the drill bit of FIG. 10 illustrating a drive collar in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11A is a sectional view of the drive collar of FIG. 11 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a tibial cutter of FIG. 12 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the exemplary procedure depicting an exemplary tibial screw implant coupled to the drill bit for optional implantation relative to the tibial pocket in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13A is a partial sectional view of a tibial screw implant tap in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13B is a partial sectional view of the tibial screw implant of FIG. 13 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13C is a perspective view of a trial tibial bearing in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the exemplary procedure depicting positioning a tibial bearing implant relative to the tibial pocket with an instrument in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the exemplary procedure depicting seating the tibial bearing implant relative to the tibial pocket with a tibial bearing impactor in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 15A is a perspective view of the tibial bearing impactor of FIG. 15 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the exemplary procedure depicting positioning a femoral implant relative to the femoral pocket in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 16A is a perspective view of the femoral implant of FIG. 16 in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure; and

FIGS. 17-19 are perspective views of another exemplary procedure depicting forming a tibial pocket using a bore in the femur in accordance with the present teachings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features. Although the following description is related generally to methods and systems for repairing a cartilage defect in a knee joint, it should be appreciated that the methods and systems discussed herein can be applicable to other bones and/or joints of the anatomy.

Exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, systems and/or methods, to provide a thorough understanding of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that exemplary embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some exemplary embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.

Turning now to FIGS. 1-16A of the drawings, various methods and systems are disclosed in accordance with the present teachings for repairing a cartilage defect in a knee joint 10. As will be discussed in greater detail below, pockets in a femur 14 and tibia 18 can be formed for receiving respective implants, with the tibial pocket being formed via access through a bore in the femur 14 in accordance with an exemplary aspect of the present teachings.

With particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 1A, knee joint 10 is shown in flexion and an exemplary sizing guide 22 is shown positioned relative to a defect or lesion in the articular cartilage on one of the femoral condyles 26. As will be discussed in greater detail below, sizing guide 22 can be used to determine an appropriate size and location for a femoral implant 30 (FIG. 16A). Sizing guide 22 can include a first or bone engaging end or surface 34 and an opposite second end 38. The bone engaging surface 34 can include an arcuate shape to match the contour of the distal end of the femoral condyles 26. The bone engaging end 34 can include a base 42 having an outer perimeter 46 that corresponds in size and shape to an outer perimeter 48 of the femoral implant 30. In this regard, sizing guide 22 can be provided with base 42 having a variety of different sizes that correspond to a variety of correspondingly sized femoral implants so as to best match the size of the patient's cartilage defect.

A pair of cannulated outer shafts 50 and an inner or central cannulated shaft 54 can extend from the base 42 and can define the opposite end 38. Shafts 50 and 54 can align with corresponding through bores 58 and 62, respectively, formed in base 42, as shown in FIG. 1A. In one exemplary configuration, shafts 50 and 54 can include different axial lengths so as to have staggered ends to facilitate ease of use, as shown for example in FIGS. 1 and 1A. The through bores 58 and 62 can be positioned at a predetermined distance relative to each other and remain in the same position regardless of the different sizes provided for base 42.

Once an appropriate sizing guide 22 has been selected that has a base 42 corresponding to the size of the defect or that best matches with the size of the defect, the base 42 can be positioned over the defect such that the inner shaft 54 is aligned at an angle α of about 30 to 40 degrees below or posterior to a longitudinal axis 66 of femur 14, as shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, with the sizing guide 22 positioned as discussed above, a guide pin 70, such as a K-wire with a threaded distal tip, can be inserted into each of the cannulated tubes to provide three distinct separate axes for guidance. The guide pins 70 can include a hex or other shaped proximal end 74 configured to receive a driver 78. Driver 78 can be used to drive the threaded distal tips of guide pins 70 into femur 14. In this regard, the guide pins 70 can include a length correlating to a length of outer shafts 50 and inner shaft 54 such that the guide pins 70 can be driven into femur 14 until a distal end 82 of driver 78 engages ends 86 of shafts 50 and 54. For discussion purposes, the guide pin 70 corresponding to the inner shaft will hereinafter be referred to as the inner guide pin 70 and the guide pins 70 corresponding to the outer shafts 50 will be referred to as the outer guide pins 70.

As will be discussed in greater detail below, the implanted guide pins 70 can serve as a guidance system for other instruments and/or procedures to be performed in connection with repairing the cartilage defect in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure. Once the guide pins 70 have been implanted as discussed above, the sizing guide 22 can be removed by sliding the guide 22 away from femur 14 about guide pins 70. In one exemplary configuration, the sizing guide 22 can be reusable and formed of a biocompatible material, such as stainless steel, titanium, or the like, consistent with such purpose.

With particular reference to FIGS. 3 and 3A, an appropriately sized cartilage cutter 100 can be selected and positioned relative to the cartilage defect about guide pins 70. Cartilage cutter 100 can include a base 104 having a bone engaging end 108 and an opposite end 112 from which a cannulated impact shaft 116 extends. The cartilage cutter 100 can be provided in various sizes where an outer perimeter 120 of the base 104 varies in size and/or shape to correspond with the various sizes of femoral implant 30 and thus base 42 of sizing guide 22. The bone engaging end 108 of base 104 can include an outer rim 122 having a sharpened cutting edge 124 extending longitudinally from end 112 and can be used to cut an outline 126 (FIG. 9) in the cartilage around the defect that corresponds to the outer perimeter 120 of cartilage cutter 100.

End 112 of base 104 can include a pair of apertures 128 positioned on opposite sides of shaft 116 so as to correspond with the spacing of outer guide pins 70 implanted in femur 14. As briefly discussed above and shown in FIG. 3, cartilage cutter 100 can be slidably received on guide pins 70 via apertures 128 and cannulated shaft 116 so as to position outer cutting edge 124 of base 104 against the cartilage of femur 14. An impact end 132 of shaft 116 can be impacted with an impact member 136 to cut the outline 126 in the cartilage corresponding to the outer perimeter 48 of the selected femoral implant 30 (FIG. 16A). In this regard, it should be appreciated that the shaft 116 and impact end 132 include an axial length longer than the inner guide pin 70, as shown for example in FIG. 3. Base 104 of cartilage cutter 100 can also include indicia 140 providing a visual indication of a desired or maximum depth for driving cartilage cutter 100 relative to the femur. Once the cartilage has been cut with cartilage cutter 100, the cartilage cutter 100 can be removed in a similar manner as sizing guide 22 discussed above.

As will be discussed in greater detail below, by cutting the outline 126 in the cartilage, any tearing of cartilage outside the cut perimeter as a result of subsequent drilling in femur 14 can be substantially mitigated or eliminated. In this regard, in one exemplary configuration, only the outline 126 can be cut in the cartilage with cartilage cutter 100 such that cartilage is not removed by the cutting technique discussed above. However, it should be appreciated that cartilage within the perimeter outline cut into the cartilage could be removed in connection with cutting the perimeter outline into the femoral cartilage.

In one exemplary configuration, cartilage cutter 100 can be formed as a two-piece component where shaft 116 is removably engaged to base 104 via a threaded connection or the like. In this configuration, shaft 116 can be reusable and base 104 can be disposable.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 4-5A, an outer drill stop 150 can be positioned relative to femur 14 about guide pins 70, as shown in FIG. 4. As will be discussed below, outer drill stop 150 can serve to both guide a drill bit 154 relative to the cartilage defect as well as limit a drilling depth relative to femur 14. The outer drill stop 150 can include a base 158 having a bone engaging end 162 and an opposite end 166 from which a cannulated shaft 170 extends. Base 158 can include two apertures 174 having an inner diameter corresponding to an outer diameter of a portion of drill bit 154, as will be discussed below. Outer drill stop 150 can be positioned about guide pins 70 such that the outer guide pins 70 are received through apertures 174 and the inner guide pin 70 is received in cannulated shaft 170. In this regard, as can be seen in FIG. 4, cannulated shaft 170 in cooperation with inner guide pin 70 serves to initially guide outer drill stop 150 relative to femur 14. In one exemplary configuration, base 158 can include an outer perimeter 178 sized and shaped to also correspond with the outer perimeters of the selected cartilage cutter 100 and femoral implant 30.

Drill bit 154 can include a first or bone engaging end 186 and an opposite second or driver engaging end 190, as shown for example in FIG. 5A. The bone engaging end 186 can include a plurality of flutes 194 corresponding to a plurality of cutting edges 198, as also shown in FIG. 5A. In the exemplary configuration shown, drill bit 154 includes three flutes 194 between the corresponding three cutting edges 198. The flutes 194 can extend from the bone engaging end 186 for a length 196 to a stop collar 202. In one exemplary configuration, the flutes 194 can extend through the stop collar 202 so as to provide a path for bone material to exit the drill bit 154 during use. Drill bit 154 can also include throughbore 206 sized and shaped to cooperate with the outer guide pins 70 and a driver engagement portion 210 at the driver engaging end 186 configured to cooperate with a drill bit driving member (not shown).

In use, drill bit 154 can be separately positioned about each of the outer guide pins 70 such that the pins are received in the throughbore 206 of drill bit 154. An outer diameter 214 of the bone engaging end 186 can be sized to cooperate with an inner diameter 218 of outer drill stop apertures 174, as shown in FIG. 5 with reference to FIG. 4. In this regard, as the drill bit 154 is advanced along each of the outer guide pins 70 into respective apertures 174, the bone engaging end 186 can cooperate with the respective aperture 174 and outer guide pin 70 to self-center that aperture 174 about the associated outer guide pin 70. Drill bit 154 can be advanced relative to femur 14 until stop collar 202 engages base 158, thereby limiting a depth of outer bores or pockets 226 (FIG. 9) drilled in femur 14. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the inner diameter 230 of outer bores 226 can correspond to an outer diameter of corresponding outer projections 234 (FIG. 16A) on femoral implant 30.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 6 and 6 a, the outer drill stop 150 can be removed after forming outer bores 226 while leaving guide pins 70 in place. An inner drill stop 248 can be positioned over outer guide pins 70 via corresponding apertures 252 and positioned relative to femur 14, as shown in FIG. 6. Inner drill stop 248 can include a first or bone engaging side 256, a second opposite side 260 and a central drill bit receiving aperture 264. Bone engaging side 256 can include a pair of projections 268 configured to be received in outer bores 226 (FIG. 9) to aid in locating and retaining inner drill stop 248 relative to bores 226 and femur 14, as shown in FIG. 6A.

In the exemplary configuration illustrated, projections 268 can be in the form of semicircles having a radius substantially corresponding to a radius of outer bores 226. With the inner drill stop 248 in place as shown in FIG. 6, drill bit 154 can be advanced over inner guide pin 70 and received in aperture 264 to drill an inner bore or pocket 272 (FIG. 9) in femur 14. In the exemplary configuration illustrated, inner bore 272 can include a depth less than a corresponding depth of outer bores 226, as shown in FIG. 9, corresponding to outer projections 234 and an inner projection 276 of femoral implant 30, as shown in FIG. 16A. In this regard, since drill bit 154 can be used for both the outer and inner bores 226, 272, a thickness of the inner drill stop between ends 261, 262 can be greater than a corresponding thickness of the base of outer drill stop 150. The outer and inner bores 226, 272 can hereinafter also be referred to as the femoral or reference pocket 280 configured to receive the femoral implant 30 (FIG. 9).

Referring additionally to FIGS. 7-8, the inner drill stop 248 can be removed along with the guide pins 70 after forming inner bore 272, and a drill guide 290 can be positioned relative to femur 14 using bores 226, 272 for locating reference and alignment. As will be discussed in greater detail below, drill guide 290 can be used to drill a bore in the femur 14, which will be used to prepare the tibia for receipt of a tibial implant. Before locating drill guide 290 relative to femur 14, any remaining cartilage between outline 126 and bores 226, 272 in areas 294 can be removed, as shown in FIG. 9. Once such cartilage is removed, drill guide 290 can be positioned relative to femur 14 using bores 226, 272, as will be discussed in greater detail below.

Drill guide 290 can include a base 302 having a first or bone engaging side 306 and a second opposite side 310. A handle 314 can extend from the second side of base 302 and perpendicular thereto, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 7A. A cannulated guide member 318 can also extend from base 302 at a 45 degree angle relative to both base 302 and handle 314. Guide member 318 can be configured to receive and guide a drill bit 322 (FIG. 8), as will be discussed below. The bone engaging side 306 can include outer and inner projections 326, 330 sized and shaped to correspond with and be received in bores 226, 272, as shown in FIG. 7A with reference to FIG. 7. The lower or posterior outer projection 326 can include an angled portion 328 configured to aid in removing drill guide 290 at an angle from bores 226, 272 about drill bit 322, as will be discussed below. Once drill guide 290 is positioned relative to bores 226, 272, drill bit 322 can be received in cannulated guide member 318 and advanced relative to femur 14 to drill a bore through femur 14, as shown in FIG. 8.

With additional reference to FIGS. 8A-8C, drill bit 322 will be discussed in greater detail. Drill bit 322 can include a first end 338 and a second end 342. First end 338 can include a pointed tip portion 346 configured to engage bone and assist in a cutting operation, followed by a threaded portion 350 and a first hexagon shaped portion in cross section 354, as shown for example in FIG. 8C. In the exemplary configuration illustrated, tip portion 346 can include a smaller diameter than threaded portion 350, which can include a smaller diameter than the first hexagon shaped portion 354, as shown in FIG. 8C. As will be discussed below in greater detail, first end 338 can receive both a quick-release driver to facilitate driving drill bit 322 through femur 14, and a cutter for forming a pocket in tibia 18.

As can be seen in FIG. 8B, second end 342 can include a cutting portion 362 having a standard flute that extends partially toward first end 338 to a second hexagon portion 366. The second hexagon portion 366 can include a smaller diameter than the cutting portion 362, but the same as a third hexagon portion 368, thereby forming a shoulder 370 between the two portions. An annular recess 374 can be positioned between the second hexagon portion 366 and the third hexagon portion 368, as also shown in FIG. 8B. As will be discussed in greater detail below, second end 342 can be configured to both drill a bore in femur 14 as well as receive a drive collar over the cutting portion 362 to drive drill bit 322 to cut a pocket in tibia 18.

As briefly discussed above, first end 338 is configured to receive a quick-release driver 382 about first hexagon portion 354 for coupling drill bit 322 to a driving member to drill a bore 386 in the femur, as shown in FIG. 8. As can be seen in FIG. 8, drill bit 322 can exit femur 14 extra-articularly. In this regard, forming bores 226, 272 having longitudinal axes that are 30-40 degrees posterior to the longitudinal axis 66 of femur 14 along with the 45 degree angle of drill guide 290 can cooperate together to strategically position an exit of the drill bit 322 proximate an interior edge of the articular cartilage so as to not exit too deep into adjacent muscle tissue or out of condyle surface 26, as also shown in FIG. 8.

Once bore 386 has been formed in femur 14 as discussed above, quick-release driver 382 can be removed from drill bit 322 and drill guide 290 can then be removed from femur 14 by sliding drill guide about drill bit 322. In this regard, angled portion 328 can facilitate sliding the lower projection 326 out of bore 226 along the forty-five degree angle of drill bit 322 relative to the longitudinal axes of bores 226, 272. Drill bit 322 can then be slidably advanced to a position where first end 338 is proximate the joint space 390 between femur 14 and tibia 18, as shown in FIG. 9. A cannulated drill stop member 400 can be slidably received over drill 322 via second end 342 while drill bit 322 remains in femur 14. Drill stop member 400 can be advanced relative to drill bit 322 until a distal end 404 engages femur 14, as also shown in FIG. 9. A stop collar 412 can then be slidably received on drill bit 322 and can be positioned relative to a proximal end 416 of stop member 400 in preparation for final positioning, as will be discussed below. Stop collar 412 can be any appropriate device that can be fixed in various positions relative to bit 322. In the exemplary configuration shown in FIG. 9, stop collar 412 includes a cannulated longitudinal member 424 and a fastener 428 threadably engaged with member 424. As can be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, fastener 428 can be tightened relative to member 424 so as to advance the fastener into fixed engagement with drill bit 322 and thus maintain collar 412 in a desired position relative to drill bit 322.

Once stop collar 412 has been positioned on drill bit 322 as discussed above, a drive collar 438 can be positioned over second end 342 of drill bit 322, as shown in FIG. 10 with reference to FIGS. 11 and 11A. Drive collar 438 can include a first or proximal end 442 having a collar portion 446 and a hex drive protrusion 450. A cannulated portion 454 can extend from drive collar 438 up to and define a second or distal end 458. The distal end 458 can include an inner drive wall having a hexagon shape 462, as shown in FIG. 11A. Cannulated portion 454 can include a predetermined length correlated to a length of the cutting portion 362 of drill bit 322 such that the hexagon shaped drive wall 462 can engage the third hexagon portion 368 when drive collar 438 is urged toward femur 14, or can engage a second hexagon portion 366 when drive collar 438 is pulled away from femur 14, as shown in FIG. 11A. Drive collar 438 can be pivoted onto drill bit 322 via annular recess 374 and cut-out 456. The distal end 458 can be positioned over annular recess 374 via cut-out 456 shown in FIG. 11. Engagement of the distal end 458 of drive collar 438 with annular recess 374 can prevent drive collar 438 from coming off of drill bit 322 during extraction. In addition to serving a driving function, as will be discussed in greater detail below, drive collar 438 can also serve to protect a surgeon, clinician or other personnel from the cutting portion 362 of drill bit during the surgical procedure.

A cutter 472 can be threadably received on threaded portion 350 of bit 322 for use in cutting a pocket in tibia 18, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 10. In one exemplary aspect, drive collar 438 can be used to rotate drill bit 322 via collar portion 446 to threadably engage cutter 472 via internal female threads 476, as generally shown in FIG. 10. Pointed tip portion 346 of first end 338 can extend axially beyond cutter 472 to aid cutter 472 in initially engaging and cutting tibia 18, as shown for example in FIG. 9A. Once cutter 472 is coupled to drill bit 322, the drill bit 322 can be slidably advanced relative to femur 14 until cutter 472 contacts tibia 18. At this point, a spacer 484 can be received on drill bit 322 between proximal end 416 of drill stop member 400 and stop collar 412. In one exemplary aspect, a longitudinal or axial thickness 492 of spacer 484 can correspond to a depth of a pocket cut into tibia 18 by cutter 472, as will be discussed in greater detail below.

Cutter 472 can include a body 512 having a first or proximal end 516 and an opposite second bone engaging end 520, as shown in FIG. 12. Body 512 can define a central hub 524 and a plurality of cutting members 528, such as the three cutting members 528 illustrated in FIG. 12, that extend radially outward from hub 524 to an annular ring 536. Each cutting member 528 can include a cutting blade or edge 540 on a distal surface thereof, as also shown in FIG. 12. In one exemplary aspect, the cutting blades 540 can extend radially outward to a radially outermost edge 544 of cutter 472. Central hub 524 can define an internal bore having threads 476 configured to threadably receive threaded portion 350 of bit 322 in the manner discussed above. An outer wall of hub 524 adjacent the proximal end 516 can include a square shape 548 configured to receive a tool (not shown) to aid in securing cutter 472 to drill bit 322.

Once spacer 484 is positioned on drill bit 322 as discussed above, one side of spacer 484 can be brought into contact with proximal end 416 and stop collar 412 can be brought into contact with an opposite side of spacer 484, as shown in FIG. 10. The tibia can be rotated so that cutter 472 is perpendicular to a tibial plateau of the tibia. At this point, the distal end 404 of drill stop member 400 should be contacting femur 14, and cutter 472 should be in contact with tibia 18 at the location for the implant. Fastener 428 can be tightened to secure stop collar 412 in this position, after which spacer 484 can be removed. A drill driving member (not shown), such as the driving member discussed above, can be coupled to hex drive protrusion 450 of drive collar 438 for driving drill bit 322 and cutter 472 to cut a pocket in tibia 18. In particular, drill bit 322 and cutter 472 can be advanced relative to femur 14 and drill stop member 400 to cut a pocket 550 (FIG. 14) in tibia 18 for receipt of a tibial bearing implant 554 (FIG. 14). Tip portion 346 of drill bit 322 can initially engage tibia 18 to assist in cutting pocket 550. Drill bit 322 can be advanced to cut pocket 550 with cutter 472 until stop collar 412 engages the proximal end 416 of drill stop member 400 thereby limiting the depth of pocket 550 to a predetermined depth corresponding to tibial bearing 554.

Pocket 550 can be formed to remove a corresponding lesion or defect in tibia 18. In this regard, cutter 472 can be provided in various sizes, such as various diameters, to account for varying sizes of the tibial defect. Tibial bearing 554 can similarly be provided in various diameter sizes corresponding to the various sizes of cutter 472.

Once pocket 550 has been formed in tibia 18, a trial tibial bearing 562 (FIG. 13C) can be positioned in pocket 550 in a similar manner as tibial implant 554 is shown in FIG. 14 being positioned in pocket 550. An exemplary instrument 568 can be used to position both trial bearing 562 and bearing implant 554 in pocket 550, as will be discussed below. If the tibial pocket 550 is determined not to be deep enough based on an evaluation of the trial bearing placement in pocket 550, cutter 472 can be used to form pocket 550 deeper into tibia 18. In this regard, stop collar 412 can be loosened from drill bit 322 and depth marking indicia 564 (FIG. 10) on drill bit 322 can be used as reference marks in forming pocket 550 deeper into tibia 18.

On the other hand, if it is determined that pocket 550 has been formed too deep into tibia 18 and/or the sub-cortical bone is too soft, a tibial adjustment screw 570 can be implanted into pocket 550, as generally shown in FIG. 13. Optional tibial adjustment screw 570 can be used to provide structural support for tibial bearing 554 and/or to adjust the depth of pocket 550, as will be discussed in greater detail below. Referencing FIG. 13B, tibial adjustment screw 570 can include external threads 578 extending from a proximal end 582 to a distal end 586. Proximal end 582 can include an internal blind bore 590 having a hexagonal shape 594 complimentary to the first hexagonal shaped portion 354 of bit 322. In this regard, cutter 472 can be removed from bit 322 and tibial adjustment screw 570 can be positioned about the first end of bit 322 such that the first hexagonal portion 354 engages the hexagonal shape 594 of tibial screw bore 590. Drill bit 322 can then be used to drive tibial adjustment screw 570 into pocket 550, as will be discussed below in greater detail.

Before tibial adjustment screw 570 is coupled to drill bit 322 and implanted into pocket 550, an optional tibial adjustment screw tap 600 (FIG. 13A) can be used to tap tibia 18 for receipt of screw 570 discussed above. The tibial adjustment screw tap 600 can include a substantially similar structure and can couple to drill bit 322 in the same manner as screw 570 and thus will not be described in detail herein. Briefly, however, screw tap 600 can include a proximal end 604, an internal blind bore 608 having a hexagonal shaped sidewall 612, and a conical shape 616 with external threads 620 extending to a distal tip 624.

A screw and tap guide ring 632 can be used to guide both the tap 600 and/or the screw 570, as discussed below and shown in FIG. 13. In particular, guide ring 632 can include an outer diameter complementary to an inner diameter of pocket 550 such that guide ring can be snugly positioned within pocket 550. Guide ring 632 can also include a central throughbore 636 sized and shaped to receive the tap 600 and/or bearing screw 570 therethrough. It should be understood that guide ring 632 is optional. In an exemplary aspect, guide ring 632 is removed after implantation of tibial screw 570 and before implanting tibial bearing 554 in pocket 550. It should also be understood that both the tap 600 and screw 570 can be coupled to drill bit 322 without having to remove the drill bit from femur 14.

With screw tap 600 coupled to drill bit 322 in the manner discussed above, tibia 18 can be tapped in a central location of pocket 550 using optional guide ring 632 as a guide. The tap 600 can be threaded into tibia 18 until a proximal end of the threads is flush with a bottom of pocket 550. In one exemplary aspect, drive collar 438 can be used to rotate drill bit 322 instead of the drive member to perform the tapping and implanting operation associated with screw 570. The tap 600 can then be removed from drill bit 322 and tibial screw 570 can be coupled to bit 322 in the manner discussed above. Tibial screw 570 can be threaded into the tapped threads in tibia 18 using drive collar 438. The guide ring 632 can be optionally removed before implanting screw 570, as discussed above. Screw 570 can be provided in various sizes, such as various lengths and diameters. Tap 600 can therefore also be provided in various sizes corresponding to the various sizes of screw 570. The guide ring 632 can also be provided with various through bore sizes.

First end 338 of drill bit 322 can then be slidably removed from screw 570 and the trial bearing 562 can again be positioned in pocket 550 to check the fit of the trial bearing 562. If it is determined that the trial bearing 562 needs to be raised toward the articular surface of the tibia 18 (i.e., toward femur 14), then first end 338 can be inserted through a central throughbore 644 of the trial bearing 562 and into engagement with screw 570. Drill bit 322 can then be rotated in an appropriate direction to raise the trial bearing 562 to an appropriate position. In this regard, it should be appreciated that the diameter of through bore 644 is large enough to allow drill bit 322 to pass through, but smaller in diameter than screw 570 so that the trial bearing 562 can be raised or lowered when screw 570 is turned. Once screw 570 is adjusted to place the trial bearing 562 in the appropriate position, drill bit 322 can be removed from femur 14 along with the associated stop collar 412, drive collar 438 and drill stop member 400.

Before implanting the femoral and tibial implants 30, 554, a femoral trial (not shown) can be positioned in the femoral pocket 280 and the trial bearing 562 can remain removably positioned in tibia 18. The femoral trial can be substantially similar to femoral implant 30 shown in FIG. 16A such that the femoral trial will not be discussed in further detail herein. With the femoral and tibial trials in place, the leg can be articulated to check for a smooth transition between the respective trials and surrounding articular cartilage.

The femoral and tibial trials can then be removed and the femoral and tibial pockets 280, 550 can be prepared for receipt of respective implants 30, 554. In one exemplary aspect, bone cement can be used to secure the implants 30, 554 to the respective pockets 280, 550. In this aspect, bone cement can be applied to one or both of the bottom of pocket 550 and the bottom of tibial bearing 554. Instrument 568 can then be used to position tibial bearing 554 into pocket 550, as shown in FIG. 14. Once tibial bearing 554 is placed in pocket 550, a tibial bearing impactor 652 (FIG. 15) can be used to seat bearing 554 into pocket 550 and, if previously implanted, against bearing screw 570.

As can be seen in FIG. 15A, tibial bearing impactor 652 can have a generally C-shaped body 656 so as to fit around femur 14. Body 656 can include a first impact receiving end 660 configured to be impacted with impact member 136, and an opposite bearing engaging end 668. Bearing engaging end 668 can include a linear portion 672 having a protrusion 676 at a free end 680 configured to engage bearing 554, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 15A.

With additional reference to FIGS. 16 and 16A, preparation for and implantation of femoral implant 30 will now be discussed. Femoral implant 30 can be provided with a variety of outer perimeter 48 sizes and can include a femoral pocket engaging side 692 and an opposite articulation side 696. Bone engaging side can include the outer projections 234 corresponding to outer bores 226 and the inner projection 276 corresponding to inner bore 272, as shown in FIG. 16A. The outer perimeter 48 of each implant 30 can be sized and shaped to correspond with outline 126 cut in the femoral articular cartilage with cartilage cutter 100 discussed above. In one exemplary configuration, the outer perimeter 48 can vary in size to correspond with the outline 126 while the outer and inner projections 234, 276 remain the same among the implants 30.

In the exemplary aspect where bone cement can be used as a securing method, bone cement can similarly be applied to the pocket engaging side 692 of femoral implant 30 and a bottom of bores 226, 272 of pocket 280. Implant 30 can then be positioned in femoral pocket 280 such that outer projections 234 are received in outer bores 226 and inner projection 276 is received in inner bore 272, as shown in FIG. 16 with reference to FIG. 15. Implant 30 can then be seated in pocket 280 using a femoral impactor 702 and impact member 136, as also shown in FIG. 16.

With additional reference to FIGS. 17-19, an alternative method and system for forming tibial pocket 550 will now be discussed, where like reference numerals refer to like features previously introduced and discussed. A substantially C-shaped guide member 750 can be positioned as shown in FIG. 17 to extend around the condyle area of femur 14. Guide member 750 can include a threaded bore 754 at a first or upper end 758 and a second opposite end 760 configured to rest on tibia 18 and receive a distal end 762 of drilling member 764, as shown for example in FIG. 17. Threaded bore 754 can threadably receive a cannulated bullet 766 therethrough.

Bullet 766 can be threadably advanced until it engages femur 14 to secure bullet 766 and guide relative to femur 14, as also shown in FIG. 17. Drilling member 764 can then be inserted through cannulated bullet 766 and rotated with a driving member (not shown) to drill a bore 770 though femur 14. Drilling member 764 can be advanced relative to femur 14 until distal end 762 engages second end 760.

With particular reference to FIGS. 18 and 19, drilling member 764 can be removed from bullet 766 and the bullet can be disengaged from femur 14 so as to provide for removal of guide member 750 from the anatomy. A drive shaft 774 can then be slidably inserted through bore 770 until a threaded distal end 778 is positioned relative to joint space 390. Cutter 472 can then be threadably engaged to distal end 778 in the same manner as discussed above in connection with drill bit 322. Drive shaft 774 can be rotated with any suitable drive member to form pocket 550 in tibia 18, as generally shown in FIG. 19 with reference to pocket 550 of FIG. 14. The trial bearing 562, screw 570 and/or tap 600 can then be used in a similar manner as discussed above to check the fit of pocket 550. Tibial bearing 554 can then be implanted using the technique and instruments discussed above.

While one or more specific examples have been described and illustrated, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalence may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present teachings as defined in the claims. Furthermore, the mixing and matching of features, elements and/or functions between various examples may be expressly contemplated herein so that one skilled in the art would appreciate from the present teachings that features, elements and/or functions of one example may be incorporated into another example as appropriate, unless described otherwise above. Moreover, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the present teachings without departing from the essential scope thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for repairing a soft tissue or bone defect, comprising: positioning a C-shaped guide member around a condyle area of a femur of a patient, the C-shaped guide member having a first end with a threaded bore and a second end; resting the second end of the C-shaped guide member on a tibia of the patient; threadably advancing a cannulated bullet through the threaded bore of the C-shaped guide member to engage the femur and secure the C-shaped guide member; inserting a drilling member having a distal end through the cannulated bullet; rotating the drilling member until the distal end of the drilling member engages the second end of the C-shaped guide member to drill a femoral bore in the femur; removing the drilling member from the cannulated bullet; removing the cannulated bullet from the C-shaped guide member; removing the C-shaped guide member from the femur; slidably inserting a drive shaft through the femoral bore until a threaded distal end of the drive shaft reaches a joint space between the femur and the tibia of the patient; threadably engaging a cutter to the threaded distal end of the drive shaft after slidably inserting the drive shaft through the femoral bore; and rotating the drive shaft to form a pocket in the tibia using the cutter.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: positioning a trial bearing in the pocket; and determining a depth of the pocket.
 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising implanting a tibial adjustment screw in the pocket.
 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising implanting a tibial bearing in the pocket of the tibia relative to the tibial adjustment screw.
 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising selecting the cutter corresponding to a size of a defect in an articular surface of the tibia and selecting a tibial bearing having a size corresponding to the selected cutter.
 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising impacting the tibial bearing into the pocket using a tibial impactor.
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising forming a pocket in a distal end of the femur and implanting a femoral implant in the pocket in the femur to articulate with the tibial hearing.
 8. A method for repairing a soft tissue or bone detect, comprising: positioning a knee joint having a femur and a tibia in flexion; positioning a guide member around a distal end of the femur with an end of the guide member in the joint space of the knee joint; guiding a drilling member with the guide member to drill a femoral bore to the joint space; removing the drilling member from the femoral bore; and forming a tibial pocket in the tibia through the femoral bore, wherein forming the tibia pocket in the tibia includes: inserting a drive shaft through the femoral bore until a distal end of the drive shaft reaches the joint space between the femur and the tibia; connecting a cutter to the distal end of the drive shaft after inserting the drive shaft through the femoral bore; and rotating the drive shaft to form the pocket in the tibia using the cutter.
 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising passing a cannulated bullet through a first end of the guide member to engage the femur and secure the guide member with a second end of the guide member in the joint space of the knee.
 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising threadably advancing the cannulated bullet through a threaded bore on the first end of the guide member.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising inserting the drilling member through the cannulated bullet and rotating the drilling member until a distal end of the drilling member engages the second end of the guide member in the joint space.
 12. The method of claim 8, further comprising selecting an appropriate size for the cutter to remove the defect in the bone.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising implanting a tibial bearing into the tibial pocket having a size selected to accommodate the size of the cutter.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising forming a pocket in a distal end of the femur and implanting a femoral implant in the pocket in the femur to articulate with the tibial bearing.
 15. A method for repairing a soft tissue or bone detect, comprising: positioning a knee joint having a femur and a tibia in flexion; positioning a C-shaped guide member having a first end and a second end around a distal end of the femur; resting the second end of the C-shaped guide member on the tibia in a joint space of the knee joint; advancing a cannulated bullet through the first end of the C-shaped guide member to engage the femur and secure the C-shaped guide member; inserting a drilling member having a distal end through the cannulated bullet; driving the drilling member through the femur to drill a femoral bore until the distal end of the drilling member engages the second end of the C-shaped guide member; removing the drilling member from the cannulated bullet; inserting a drive shaft through the femoral bore until a distal end of the drive shaft reaches the joint space between the femur and the tibia; coupling a rotatable cutter to the distal end of the drive shaft after inserting the drive shaft through the femoral bore; and rotating the drive shaft to form a tibial pocket in the tibia using the rotating cutter.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein coupling the rotatable cutter to the distal end of the drive shaft includes threadably engaging the cutter to a threaded portion of the distal end of the drive shaft to couple the rotatable cutter to the drive shaft.
 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutter includes a body defining a central hub and a plurality of cutting members extending radially outward from the hub to an annular ring.
 18. The method of claim 1, wherein threadably engaging the cutter includes engaging the threaded distal end of the drive shaft with a threaded portion of the cutter located within a central bore defined by a central hub of the cutter. 